Keeping with tradition, we once again participated as volunteers at the Global Chess Festival, organized by the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation. The main theme of the all-day event, held on September 26, 2026, at the Hungarian National Gallery, was critical thinking. The festival welcomed chess enthusiasts, families, children, and all those who eagerly put their logic and creativity to the test with a rich array of programs.
For the youth of the Csányi Foundation, the Global Chess Festival no longer means just chess-related experiences, but also experiencing volunteering and work done for the community. For this year’s event, 27 young people applied to be daytime helpers, while another eight took on roles in packing tasks related to the preparation and execution of the event.
The volunteers were greeted with a wide variety of tasks this time as well. Some directly accompanied and assisted Judit Polgár and Zsófia Polgár during the dense schedule, while others contributed to the smooth operation of various program elements, including the simultaneous chess matches. Our youth also did their part in welcoming guests, where foreign language skills were a serious help: for instance, one of our volunteers was able to use both English and Spanish language skills throughout the day.
Thus, the volunteer work meant much more than simple assistance. It demanded responsibility, attentiveness, cooperation, and independence, while offering an opportunity to apply previously acquired knowledge and language skills in real situations.
The festival’s program lineup provided a particularly colorful backdrop for this. Participants were greeted with chess tournaments and simultaneous games, a chance to meet the Polgár sisters, RubikChess competition, robot programming, artificial intelligence programs, logical adventures, film screenings, experiential chess, and craft workshops, among other activities. The official program of the event also featured the Community Chess Simul with Judit.
The simultaneous game made this year’s festival especially memorable for the beneficiaries of the Csányi Foundation. Four applications were received for our joint chess call, out of which 17-year-old Vanda Horváth from Szentes and 20-year-old Richárd Nagy from Pécs were given the opportunity to participate in the game.
On the other side of the chessboards, we could also greet a familiar face: our beneficiary, Gellért Karácsonyi, was among the players giving the simul. As an International Master (IM), Gellért has serious competitive chess experience and was able to represent Hungary at the Budapest Chess Olympiad in 2024. It was a special experience that on this day our beneficiaries could sit at the table not only as challengers, but could also meet a young chess player belonging to the Csányi Foundation community among those giving the simul in the person of Gellért Karácsonyi.
It was a particular joy that not only our university students and more experienced volunteers could be part of the event, but also our younger beneficiaries, several of whom visited the Global Chess Festival for the first time. For them, besides chess, the day was about discovery, playing together, and gaining new experiences. The festival’s diverse programs created an opportunity for every age group to find a challenge interesting to them.
This year’s Global Chess Festival showed once again that chess extends far beyond the 64 squares: it encourages thinking, builds community, creates opportunities for encounters, and connects different generations. Our youth were able to be part of this special day as players, volunteers, and helpers alike, while enriching themselves with responsibility, shared experiences, and new knowledge.
Gyula Pege, member of Jászberény Group 2 – volunteer
Piroska Szabóné André, professional referee – volunteer coordinator
More photos can be viewed in the GALLERY.